AVOCA MAN RARE CANCER SURVIVOR

Two and a half years after Jim Dobbs returned home from his cancer surgery in Philadelphia, a “Welcome Home, Grandpa!” sign still hangs in the doorway of his living room. Each day it reminds him of the struggle he endured, of the support of his family, of the good fortune with which he has been blessed.

Mr. Dobbs is a lucky man, a rare survivor of lung cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 60 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer die within one year. Nearly 75 percent die within two years of their diagnosis. It’s been three years since Mr. Dobbs, 64, of Avoca, was diagnosed.

ER visit led to diagnosis

His battle began in May 2003. He had a cold and was experiencing shortness of breath severe enough to warrant a visit to the emergency room at Moses Taylor Hospital.

“They checked me over and took an X-ray, and that’s when they found it — on the X-ray,” Mr. Dobbs recalled on a recent morning in his Avoca home.

The film showed a mass in one of his lungs, so Mr. Dobbs’ doctor, James Sheerer, ordered a bronchoscopy (an exploration of the interior of the lungs using a tube inserted through the mouth or nose) and a biopsy.

The biopsy revealed non-small cell cancer, one of the two types of lung cancer. Dr. Sheerer gave Mr. Dobbs and his wife, Pat, the bad news.

“The first thing Jim said was ‘I’m going to fight it,” his wife recalled.

The couple went to see Dr. Christian Adonizio, of Hematology and Oncology Associates, in Dunmore, who evaluated Mr. Dobbs’ test results. He told them the cancer was advanced (stage IV), because further tests showed a small mass on Mr. Dobbs’ brain. A biopsy could not be done, but it was assumed the mass was likely cancerous. In addition to any treatment for his lungs, radiation would be required on his brain.

Dr. Adonizio referred the family to Dr. Walter Scott, a surgical oncologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Mr. Dobbs said. He would determine whether surgery could be performed.

“I knew I had cancer, but when it really hit me was when we got down to Fox Chase, and saw this big, humongous sign, ‘Cancer Center.’ It hit me like a brick,” said Mr. Dobbs, a retired salesman.

Dr. Scott said he could operate, but first Mr. Dobbs would have to undergo radiation treatments to shrink the tumors in his lung and brain, and chemotherapy to prevent further spread of cancer cells.

Daily radiation treatments began in August 2003 and lasted about two months. In September, Mr. Dobbs began weekly chemotherapy. He did not experience the nausea and loss of appetite that often occurs with chemotherapy, but he had other effects. He lost his hair, experienced fatigue, and his teeth became brittle and began to break off.

Throughout the long months of treatment, he maintained a positive, determined attitude to cope with the disease. “I treated cancer as a word. Just as a word,” Mr. Dobbs said. “I had my wife behind me, and my kids. I wanted to see my grandkids grow up. And I had tons of people praying for me. My faith got me through.”

“We didn’t dwell on the cancer,” his wife added. “There was more to his life than that.”

Believed in doctors

The couple also cited the confidence they had in Mr. Dobbs’ medical team. “It was excellent care. And the positive attitude of Dr. Adonizio and Dr. Scott — they gave him hope,” Mrs. Dobbs said.

Mr. Dobbs’ surgery took place at Fox Chase in December 2003, seven months after his diagnosis. Afterward, he lost his appetite — and a lot of weight — for several months, but has since regained his health. He can go for walks and climb stairs without any trouble breathing, although hot, humid weather makes him short of breath. He continues to exhibit the same upbeat outlook that got him through his treatment.

“We’ve had three years that at one point in time we thought we wouldn’t have had (together),” Mrs. Dobbs said. “We try to make the most out of every day.”

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